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Long jumper Watt to join US training base

Justin Chadwick

Long jump rivals Mitchell Watt and Greg Rutherford are set to join forces over the coming years in a bid to push each other to even greater lengths ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Rutherford claimed gold ahead of Australia's Watt in what became 'Super Saturday' for Britain at the London Games last year, with the host nation collecting three athletic golds within the space of an hour.

The pair enjoy a strong friendship off the track, and are trying to work out a schedule where they can train with each other over the next few years.

Rutherford trains in Phoenix, Arizona under renowned coach Dan Pfaff, with the stable of athletes including former pole vault world champion Steve Hooker.

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Watt is keen to join Rutherford there, saying it would help both athletes in the road to Rio.

"It's inevitable it will happen at some stage. We just have to work out the logistics," Watt said on Friday.

"I train in Brisbane at the moment.

"Gary Bourne is a great coach, but I've been training at the same track for almost five years now with the same bunch of people.

"It's boded quite well for me in the past, but I think it's maybe time to mix things up soon."

Rutherford's personal best of 8.35m trails Watt's by 19cm, and the 26-year-old feels both athletes would improve dramatically if they trained together.

"I've never really trained with another jumper," Rutherford said.

"It makes sense to stick two people together who can push each other.

"As it's a friendly rivalry, it works quite well."

Watt and Rutherford will go head-to-head on Saturday night at the Perth Track Classic, but neither is placing too much emphasis on the length of their jumps given it's so early in the season.

"The score I want to settle is later in the year at the World Championships," Watt said.

Also featuring in Perth will be Hooker, who faces off against Britain's Steve Lewis and American Brad Walker in the men's pole vault.

Hooker was a formidable force between 2008-10 when he claimed the Olympic, world outdoor and Commonwealth titles.

But he hasn't come close to matching his personal best effort of 6.06m in recent years, with his 5.40m clearance at the Sydney Track Classic last week only enough for equal second.

The women's field will be led by 2009 discuss world champion Dani Samuels and seven-times national javelin champion Kim Mickle.